Database/Hair Dyeing/Acid Red 52
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Acid Red 52 natural?

Mostly not. Diethylamino-xanthene chromophore is petrochemical; the two sulfonate groups are counted as mineral-origin.

INCI nameAcid Red 52
CAS3520-42-1
FormulaC27H29N2NaO7S2 · 580.7 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
FeedstockSynthesised from petrochemical resorcinol/phthalic-anhydride-type precursors via xanthene dye…

How we scored it

Sulforhodamine B, MW 580.65 (C27H29N2NaO7S2); 2x SO3(Na) fragment ~183Da natural (mineral) / ~398Da xanthene backbone petrochemical; 183/581=0.32
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Synthesised from petrochemical resorcinol/phthalic-anhydride-type precursors via xanthene dye chemistry. No natural production route.

In plain English

A bright pink-red synthetic dye used in hair-dye products, built from petroleum-derived aromatic chemicals in an industrial dye synthesis.

CosIng definition: Acid Red 52 is classed chemically as a xanthene colour. It conforms to the formula:

Natural alternatives with the same function

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A powder made by drying and grinding sugar beet root. Used as a natural colorant for hair dye…

 Bismuth Citrate 100% natural origin

A salt formed from bismuth metal and citric acid, a natural fermentation-derived fruit acid, used to buffer, chelate…

 Dihydroxyacetone 100% natural origin

The active self-tanning ingredient that reacts with skin's surface proteins to produce a temporary bronze colour; made by…

 Epicatechin 100% natural origin

An antioxidant compound naturally found in tea and cocoa, used in skin, hair and oral care. It's extracted…

 Lawsonia Inermis Extract 100% natural origin

A plant extract from the henna shrub, used to condition hair and skin and add a reddish tint.…

 Pyrogallol 100% natural origin

A hair-dye ingredient traditionally made by heating gallic acid, itself extracted from plant tannins in gallnuts, until it…

Structure

2D structure of Acid Red 52

sodium 4-[3-(diethylamino)-6-diethylazaniumylidenexanthen-9-yl]benzene-1,3-disulfonate

PubChem CID 9916275 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Acid Red 52. PubChem CID 9916275. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ACID RED 52. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ACID RED 52. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ACID%20RED%2052